Asylum seeker arrested for deportation after sexual assault charges dropped in Dublin court
A 27-year-old asylum seeker had charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl near Citywest withdrawn by the DPP. He was immediately re-arrested under a deportation order.
Sexual assault charges dropped, man re-arrested under deportation order
A 27-year-old asylum seeker was arrested by immigration officers at Midlands Prison on Thursday morning, moments after Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was informed that charges against him — relating to the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near Citywest in Dublin — had been withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
As irishexaminer.com reports, the DPP entered a nolle prosequi, meaning the prosecution will not be pursued at this stage, though charges can in theory be reinstated at a later date. The DPP is not required to give reasons for withdrawing a case, though such decisions can reflect difficulties with the available evidence.
The man, who had been held on remand at Midlands Prison awaiting trial, appeared before the court via video link. With the charges withdrawn, he was legally entitled to his release. However, officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) were waiting at the prison to arrest him under a deportation order issued by the minister.
He has since been returned to Midlands Prison while arrangements for his removal from the State are finalised.
Gardaí had been informed in advance that the DPP's decision was imminent, allowing them to prepare the legal paperwork for the deportation arrest. A brief statement from Garda HQ confirmed: "A man in his 20s was arrested today by Gardaí from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) on foot of a deportation order. The arrest took place in the Midlands area and the individual is currently in custody. No additional information is available at this time."
The withdrawal of charges means the defendant is presumed innocent in relation to those allegations.
Deportation agreement in place despite no bilateral treaty
The man's home country does not have a formal agreement with Ireland to accept deportees. However, it is understood the country in question has agreed to facilitate his travel from Ireland on this occasion.
The foreign national, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had the assistance of an Arabic interpreter during earlier court hearings.
Violent protests followed original arrest
The man had faced charges of sexual assault under Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. The alleged offences occurred on Garter Lane in Saggart on 20 October 2025.
His original arrest and charging in October 2025 triggered significant unrest in the local community. Far-right agitators used the incident to organise violent protests outside the Citywest asylum accommodation, where bricks and bottles were hurled at gardaí. More than 30 arrests were made in connection with that disorder.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)